Review of “Footfall” (1985)
“Footfall” is a science fiction invasion tale by platonic power couple Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It takes place in the revised “present day” (1985), wherein humanity gently caresses the stars through the likes of the “Kosmograd” space station and other paraphernalia. The most distinctive feature is its alien species, the Fithp, a culturally diverse group of baby elephant-esque travellers from another star. They inherited their technology from a predecessor species, who in turn gifted them the Thuktun. This is equal parts technical manual and religious text. This makes the Fithp rather uncommon among science fiction villains, in that they’re simultaneously centuries ahead in technology, but lack any of the cultural or philosophical processes typically accompanying such technology. They were consequently able to construct something akin to a Bussard ramjet without a scientific method, for instance. The story is set in motion by the Thuktun guiding them toward Earth to settle as their new home.
The Fithp (or Fi’ for short) are also noteworthy for their cultural divisions. The authors take great pains to ensure the readers know there are three factions among the Fithp who don’t entirely trust one another:
- Spaceborn: Fithp born in the great migrant ship Thuktun Flishithy (“Message Bearer”), who’ve never seen a horizon. These make up the majority of the Fithp.
- Sleepers: Fithp who awakened from cryosleep, ceremonially surrendered to their great grandchildren (the Spaceborn), and took subservient but nonetheless distinguished positions of office aboard Thuktun Flishithy.
- Dissidents: Fithp who disagree with the religious directives laid out in the Thuktun, such as the need to colonise Earth.
All this is wrapped in a herd-like societal structure. A Fi will not typically have independent thoughts, and will only ever be comfortable surrounded by compatriots. The word Fithp reinforces this philosophy, because it’s simultaneously a singular, proper noun, and a collective one. A “Fithp” can refer to an entire ‘herd’ of Fi in the same way it might refer to the singular.
The way the Fithp integrate other Fithps is also noteworthy. The process of ceremonial surrender after violent struggle with the Fithp usually ends with them gently placing their taloned foot on the “prey’s” chest. Should the victim of this ritual not struggle, they will no longer be seen as enemy, but indeed as part of the herd, albeit lowly in rank. There’s even a passage where a Fithp explains that over the generations, all Fithp (the collective) are eventually integrated into the larger, conquering Fithp over time to the extent there’s no longer a distinction between conqueror and conquered. It’s evocative of the Roman Empire, but perhaps in a gentler sense. The Fithp do occasionally refer to the surrendered as “slaves”, but the word “slave” simply doesn’t carry the same connotations in their culture. It’s somewhere between the Roman practice of simultaneously offering citizenship widely, and pure slavery.
To the Fithp, “surrender” is a sacred institution that means the joining of cultures, and the strengthening of all parties. It’s one of the central sources of conflict in the book, given the humans take every opportunity to abuse their surrender and mercy customs to gain tactical or strategic advantages. “Tactical” in the sense a human surrendering can simply run away after, and “strategic” in that the climax of the book is facilitated under the pretense of surrender. This is a source of almost existential grief for the Fithp, as they simply hadn’t considered the possibility of false surrender. Their preliminary solution is to brutalise the offending population. Given the Fithp are a collective, they initially see any “rogue” actions by a human as representative of the entire population. They do make distinctions between different “Human Fithps”, however, with some Fithp remarking that members of the “Soviet Fithp” appear more reserved than their US counterparts. This is poor respite for the offending populations, however.
The Fithp represent a type of violent collectivism atypical of science fiction I’ve experienced. The Shadows in Babylon 5 perhaps operate similarly. They too were an advanced civilisation, albeit their goal was less a collectivist instinct and more a solidified philosophical position: strengthening all sides through conflict is the path to progress. I don’t believe the Fithp have such explicit philosophical goals; they’re simply extending the unexamined tenets of their society to the human Fithp. In a sense, the Shadows are aiming to strengthen the “herd” of all sentient life by pitting it against itself, but this isn’t as indiscriminately “welcoming” as the Fithp process. If anything, it’s more likely to annihilate competition than assimilate. One might be tempted to compare Star Trek’s Borg Collective as something nearer, but they too practice a sort of annihilation, if not physical, then cultural. The Fithp are integrating the vanquished as they are, and not trying to alter them beyond their status in society.
One of the things I appreciate is how Niven and Pournelle play with the bounds of the Fithp as a concept. There’s a scene where a Fithp is captured alive, falls onto their back, and surrenders to a human. This leads to some debate among US government staff, who later decide to ingratiate this Fi’ by essentially manufacturing a new Fithp (who they term the “Dreamer Fithp”). This new Fithp basically just consists of a bunch of government analysts plus this Fi’ floating around in some mud, and that process is sufficient to make the Fi’ feel like part of this new herd. One character even says to the other it’s paramount that the Fi’ be made to feel like one of the herd, and to not act like it’s a prisoner, or do anything that might suggest it (e.g., armed guards or otherising language).
The book boasts alien perspectives on human customs. The Fithp, having always looked to their predecessors for guidance, conclude that this “God” a few captured Kansan farmers babble about, is possibly a human predecessor. No advanced ships have shown up, so they conclude the humans must have manufactured this faux-predecessor to satisfy their craving for one. A Fi’ then suggests this might be an avenue for manipulation of the humans: that the Fithp could become the humans’ predecessors, the new object of their worship.
Less memorable are the human characters and plots. Niven and Pournelle do an admirable job making us care about various holdouts and factions on Earth, but it ultimately pales in comparison to the perspectives on Thuktun Flishithy, and the scientific problem solving. The exceptions are the Soviets. It’s actually very cool having an alternate history Soviet perspective on an alien invasion, and the Prisoner’s Dilemmas that result in being forced to cooperate with the United States on joint operations.
This is an enjoyable read. There are bits and pieces that make me cringe, particularly with some internal monologues from misogynistic male characters. This is sadly a hazard in much fiction of the time. I enjoy the book for its depiction of an alien culture and the friction resulting from miscommunication. It’s not amazing, but it’s decent science fiction. There’s something touching we can learn from the Fithp: that no matter how bitter our current enemies, old animosities may be forgotten in a generation. Ideally without feet on chests, or defrosted angry ancestors provoking exceptions to the rule!